


Beauty and the Blasé

by MachiMari



Category: Free!, free - Fandom, free eternal summer - Fandom
Genre: AU, Angst, Beauty and the Beast, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Possible Character Death, Romance, Stockholm Syndrome, makoharu - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-06-09
Updated: 2017-08-10
Packaged: 2018-11-11 13:07:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 13,594
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11149047
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MachiMari/pseuds/MachiMari
Summary: Tachibana Makoto, the town's beauty, was a young adolescent who sought to make a change in the world. When he suddenly finds himself held as prisoner in a castle, his chances seem to fade away. Or perhaps fate has already paved his path to make change? [Beauty and the Beast: Free!style — Rated for safety]





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> A/N: Thank you all who have chosen to read this story. As noted by the title, this is basically a Beauty and the Beast story but with a bit of a twist as it is a Free! version. Please forgive me if it lacks anything and have present typos. I hope you enjoy!

Once upon a time, there was a handsome boy that went by the name Tachibana Makoto. With beautiful locks of brown hair and green eyes that brought life, he was always filled with happiness. Never a pessimist, Makoto always found the positive aspects of life.

He lived alongside his uncle, the inventor. His name was Ryuguzaki Rei and was a well-known genius although his sanity was questionable.

“Makoto, I have brought you a book from the library. It's brand new and I'm sure you'll love it!” Rei was a book worm and naturally, he wanted to share what he loved most with his beloved nephew. Most of the time, they were non-fiction books but this time it was the opposite, surprisingly. Makoto always appreciated his uncle’s gestures and readily accepted his requests.

“Wow, thank you Rei!” As a request from before, Rei had pleaded for Makoto to call him by his first name. It sure broke through the respect shown to adults however the young man did not want to upset his uncle.

“I left some toast for you on the table. I'm worried you'd burn the house down if you did it yourself.” Blushing, Makoto thanked his uncle. It was a known fact that Makoto was not very good in the kitchen but he knew how to do the basics. He certainly would not burn the house down over toasting some bread.

Finishing up his breakfast, the young man called out to his uncle. “Uncle Rei, I’m going out for a walk! Is it alright if I stop by somewhere to finish this book? It's the best one yet!” His eyes were shining as he smiled at his uncle; his smile was irresistible.

“So… beautiful”, teared up Rei in secret before clearing his throat. “Yes Makoto, please be careful. I'll be here experimenting, as usual.” Waving to his beautiful nephew, the scientist returned to his laboratory that was hidden in the basement of their house.

“Hum hum~” sang Makoto as he walked around town. “Ah, the little town. Always just the same. It'd be nice if I could go someplace where I can make a change. It's tough to make any difference in here.” He chuckled to himself.

“Makoto-chaaan”, cheered the children as he passed by the playground.

“Ohayo~” he smiled at them.

In the distance, underneath a tree stood a red-haired male. Beside him stood a cute little boy, or so he looked like a little boy.

“Rin-senpai, I think I see Tachibana-kun. He's finally out for his morning walk.”

“Yes, good Ai.”*

The red-haired adolescent took out a mirror from his pocket and inspected his face. “I think it's been established that there is no one as handsome as I. I’ve always said I didn't need anyone else other than me and my swimming.”

“You're amazing and you can continue forth on your own if you wanted to”, encouraged Nitori Aiichiro. He then let out a yelp when Rin suddenly turned to look at him.

“Then why is it that I found myself yearning for someone else? How is it possible that the great Matsuoka Rin has so helplessly been struck merely by one smile?” He turned his head in the direction of the green-eyed beauty. “I won’t lose.”

The Tachibana beauty continued with his stroll around the town. Some questioned how he was able to maintain such positivity and happiness, especially when living with an uncle who was pushy about academics. It was true that Rei obsessed over knowledge and would fill his nephew’s younger days with stacks of books so that he would absorb as much information as possible. It was a great way to keep him busy for the meantime since he was persistent in playing something with his “Rei-chan.”

Makoto never saw it as a burden and was in fact happy for Rei’s attention. However, there was one thing Rei failed to teach him more of and it was English. He struggled greatly with the language and there was no equation that would help him with that problem.

“Ah,Tachibana. Are you here for the usual?.” It was the town’s young baker, Sousuke. His family was in the baking business and this baker was quite young like Makoto himself and had become friends, especially since the teen loved to buy chocolate cake.

“Sousuke! It's great to see you. But I already told you to call me by my first name.” He beamed at the baker. “Today, I want to change things up a bit.”

“That's unexpected”, blinked the dark-haired male. “But as you wish. What would you like?”

“Hm… Why doesn't Sousuke pick something for me today?” Makoto wasn't one to flirt but he sure would be considered an expert if he didn't do it unintentionally.

Sousuke cleared his throat to fill the awkward silence he felt. “I think you would enjoy this slice of apple pie. Although I bet any pastry would suit you.”

Makoto let out a hearty laugh. “You sure say interesting things. It's refreshing to know someone like you.”

The baker let out a relaxing smile. “I'd say the same about you too, Makoto.” He earned himself the most beautiful smile in town.

“How about we hangout some time?”

“Sure. I can do next week.”

“It's settled then. I'm looking forward to our meeting. I'll stop by again to confirm our plans.” He parted with a wave. “Have a good day!”

“It already is!” He waved back. Sousuke sighed as he watched his friend leave. “He is a bit strange even if there is no denying that he is beautiful.”

“Ahem.” His attention was caught by the red-haired man who now stood in front of his stand. He noticed the gray-haired boy who he assumed was his little brother.

“Can I help you?”

“You know Makoto, right?” It was a sudden question and Sousuke wondered who this guy was. Was he perhaps a friend of Makoto, too? Or a stalker?

“What’s it to you?”

“Hah?! Listen, all I asked was a simple question. I just want to know what he ordered. But if it's a fight you want I'm sure I'll be the winner.”

“Senpai—,” pleaded Nitori as he apologetically looked at the baker.

“Silence Ai!”

“If you're so interested, go ask him yourself.” Sousuke glared at the stranger. “Now if you'll excuse me, I have customers.” Turning away from the nuisance, he went back to his job.

“Argh! How dare he! Hmph, I was about to do that.” Rin stomped off with Ai trailing after him.

As for the beauty, he seated himself at a water fountain where he was able to enjoy both his book and treat. It was a story about a man who had a love for water. All his life, Makoto had loved swimming so he was able to relate on a certain level. However, the man in the book went to extremities with his passion and practically lived in the water despite the weather. He knew it had to be fiction because the man would've had hypothermia by now and no man was insane enough to be in freezing water. It was still a beautiful story and not your typical “romance” novel.

Munching on his apple pie, Makoto stared off into the sky. It always calmed him down and set his thoughts running. “I'd like to travel someplace where I can make a difference.”

“Ah well you can!” Not expecting to hear a response, Makoto flinched, almost falling back into the water. Luckily, the one who had spoken caught him in his strong hold.

“R-Rin!” Green eyes met red ones. Rin pulled the young man forward, a little too close.

“Makoto, it's nice to see you again.”

“A-Ah, yes. Nice to see you too. Where's Ai?”

“Hm? Oh him? He's off somewhere doing something.” The red-haired male leaned closer to the beauty, who moved back a little.

“A-Ah. Oh hey, look at the time! I must get going. Don't want Rei to worry, ahehe!”

“I'll walk you ba—,” started Rin but before he could finish, a loud wail was heard. It came from none other than Ai.

“WAAHH!” He was being chased around by an angry man holding a smashed violin. “GOMENASAI!!”

“Looks like he needs your help! Thank you for saving me earlier! I'll be off now, bye!” Makoto took the chance to escape, leaving behind his pie.

“Mako— ARGH! I’LL GET YOU AI!”

Rushing home, Makoto closed the door behind him. His heart was still beating from the earlier encounter. Sure Rin was handsome and maybe nice but there was something about his nature that just quite didn't fit.

“Makoto-chan!” The adolescent quickly turned to his uncle. He only called him that during miraculous moments and he knew something great was about to happen. “I—I found the cure to citrus greening.”

Citrus greening, as Makoto read, was an incurable disease that affects citrus plants. The name itself is self explanatory. A bacteria is spread by a certain type of insect which causes for the citrus tree’s leaves to yellow and fall. The fruit fails to mature, staying a green color. Funny that is since green usually is the color of live vegetation.

“Isn't the science expo tomorrow?! You'll be able to present your discovery!” said Makoto excitedly. He was happy that his uncle finally would receive an award for all his hard work.

“Yes!! Yes!! But… I must leave now! It's a long trip there and I believe today is the last day to sign up.”

“Then you should go!”

“What about you? Will you be fi—,”said Rei before being interrupted.

“Don't worry about me. You've taught me well and if you're worried about food, I'll go over to Sousuke’s to eat.”

Rei stared at his nephew before tearing up. “How thankful I am for a wonderful nephew like you. I often consider you as a son.” He then hastily gets his coat. “I'll go wrap this up and then take the carriage that I built.” The carriage was one of the few inventions Rei had made during his mechanical engineering days before switching over to chemistry.

Bidding each other farewell, each parted their way. “You should receive a message from someone that I have arrived. I've calculated my exact arrival. If they don't hear from me, they'll be sure to contact you as well.”

“I'm sure you'll make it safely.”

And with that, Uncle Rei left to become famous in the chemistry world.

Makoto ran to watch him leave until he was out of sight. He breathed in the fresh air and laid down on the grass. “I'd like to make a difference too.”

He was now back at his house, finishing up the book he had started earlier that day. “Oh no, I just remembered about the pie! Poor Sousuke gave it to me as a gift and I've wasted it.”

_Knock knock_

“Who could it be?” The green eyed teen peeked through the hole of his door and saw the red-haired male. “Oh, what should I do?” It wasn't as if he didn't like to hang out with Rin because he did. They had known each other since childhood but recently, he had been acting a bit strange. A few months now actually.

“Oi Makoto. It's Rin.”

It seemed like Matsuoka was acting fairly normal so the young man opened the door to let the visitor in.

“R-Rin, ha.. ha. Come in.” Not needing to be told twice, the visitor entered.

“What a cute house”, he said as he sat down on the sofa.

“I'm glad you… like it?” The olive-haired adolescent closed the door.

“Well, what isn't there to like?” said Rin as he winked over to the beauty. “Makoto, have you ever felt that there was a purpose to your life other than having fun?”

This caught the beauty’s attention and he immediately turned to look at the red-eyed male. “Yes”, he said with admiration.

“I've felt the need to change something”, continued Rin as he stared off into the distance. “Sure it's nice to have a daily routine but we all need something else. There's just something…”

“Missing?” finished Makoto. He gave Rin a smile, who looked at him in surprise, before agreeing.

“Y-Yeah.” He mentally cursed himself for stuttering so stupidly. He stood up and slowly made his way towards the other. “How about we both go off to a place, where we can make a difference?”

Makoto could feel his heart hammer as the idea excited him. There was so much he felt he could offer to the world and all he needed to do was to go out there and explore. It would feel better with someone by his side.

The beauty was about to answer in agreement until he realized that Rin was just inches away from his face. He tried to back away but he was right up against the door.

“Makoto, I can make a difference in your world. How about you make a difference in mine…” Those red eyes shifted from looking into those beautiful, green eyes to looking down at the beauty’s lips.

His heart was pounding more than ever and Makoto knew something dangerous was about to happen. His hand made its way to the doorknob.

“Rin…” He said in a gentle tone. Makoto was trying to be as nice as possible to decline whatever Rin was wanting. Instead, it only seemed to fuel the mentioned guy even more. “You really are a wonderful person and I just…” It was at this point that Rin had started to lean closer and closer to his face. “I… don't deserve you!”

Without warning, Makoto opened the door which sent Rin stumbling outside. The door slammed shut and the male found himself in a puddle of mud. A band had started playing a Wedding March because Rin’s plan was to have a successful proposal.

“S-Senpai?!” gasped Ai in horror at the sight before him. He shouldn't have spoken because soon, he found himself in the mud as well.

“I WILL get with him, if it's the last thing I do.” And with that, the angered one stomped away.

It had been hours since the incident and Makoto was still trying his best to forget it. His book was certainly a promising option but even that reminded him of it. He glanced at the clock. If he had calculated correctly like his uncle, Rei should've sent a message by now.

_Knock knock_

The olive-haired teen flinched as he thought that it might be Rin returning for some more. He dared to look out the window and thankfully found Sousuke instead.

“Sousu—,” he started with a smile but was cut off.

“We received message that Rei hasn't arrived. It is believed something happened.”

The happiness that was always worn on that face was suddenly replaced with dread. It made Sousuke guilty for being the one to deliver the news. Years of happiness was always washed away by a few words of tragedy.

“I need to go. I need to go find him.”

“You can use Hiro.” Hiro was the name of the horse that Sousuke’s family owned. As younger kids, both used to hang out a while and it was sometimes spent by taking care of the horse.

“Thank you. Thank you so much!”

Mounted on Hiro, Makoto wore a hooded-cape to keep warm. It was amazing that he never forgot his manners, even in desperate situations.

“I'll go with you”, said the baker.

“No, please stay here. I don't want you to get hurt.”

“What if you get hu—,” he argued.

“I'll be fine. I'll be back and when I do, I'll take another one of those apple pies.” He managed to smile even at a time like this, before taking off.

 _I’ll find you Rei. Even if it’s the last thing I do. Even if it means giving up my life. I will do anything to get you back home safely_.

 

 


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The young beauty ventures through the woods to find his beloved uncle. Just where will he end up?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm glad you've returned for more! I have posted this story in various places so perhaps you have seen it already (I must say, I was inspired by Be Our Guest)? If not, I'm glad you came across this! Now please enjoy the next chapter~!

“Stupid car! I should've borrowed someone’s horse”, wailed Rei as he struggled to fix his carriage. “I forgot to bring tools in case this happened! Now everyone will be worried for my stupidity.” The scientist berated himself for letting the game get to his head. He was in such a hurry to show everyone his discovery that he failed to do a proper check of his supply list.

“I have failed both as a scientist and a good uncle.” Rei looked around himself. His car had crashed in the middle of two roads. “Where's my map?” Rummaging through his stuff, the scientist failed to see his map.

_Woosh_

A huge gust of chilly wind blew right in his direction. “Wah! Since when did it become so cold?!” He looked up to find his map being carried away by the wind. “Ehh?! Come back here! I'll be lost without you!” Without looking where he was going, Rei traveled through a series of paths which he had not memorized. Even with his map, how would he know where he is?

“Ahh!” The map fell to the ground momentarily. Taking the chance, the glasses man picked it up and dusted it off. “How troublesome. It's so dark, I can't see anymore. Things can't possibly get any worse.”

Just as if he jinxed himself, it suddenly started pouring. “Why am I always the unlucky one?!” Lighting struck and lit up the path Rei was on. He did not expect to find that he was standing right in front of a castle.

“Magnificent… am I the first to discover this? What if it's haunted by ghosts of historical figures?”

There was distant howling and growling coming from the forest that surrounded him.

“I-It's the best option I’ve got.” Rei scurried inside, trying his best not to wet anything. “Wow, I've never been inside of a castle! I wonder what year it's from. I should've studied archaeology instead.”

 _ **Bam**_!

The door shut on its own. Rei let out a small shriek. “It's okay. Ghosts don't exist. Ghosts don't exist. Ghosts don't exist.” He found a candle lit in the lonesome castle. “S-Some one is here?!” He took hold of what appeared to be a candle holder.

“Don't worry, Sir. It's just me.” Screaming, the blue-haired man dropped the the object.

“Wh-Who is there?! I have pepper spray! Invented by myself!”

“Great job Ren”, came a sarcastic tone. A tiny sized girl jumped down from a nearby stand. “You scared our visitor!”

“WAH! What is this place?!”

“Shh calm down, Sir. We don’t want to wake up anybody.” The bright light from the flame revealed that the candle holder resembled a little boy.

“W-What are you?”

“I'm a candle holder and my name is Ren!” The little boy was able to hold three candles: one that went on his head, though it appeared that he wore a top hat in which the candle was placed, and one in each gloved hand. Taking the candle out of his right hand, Ren extended it to the stranger. “Don’t worry! I took the candle out! We're very nice people.” With that, he added a whisper. “Except maybe Ran over there.”

“Hey! I am nice!” She curtsied to the visitor. “Hello Monsieur~! I am Ran, Ren’s twin sister.”

Rei took a moment to process what was going on. _Wait, this MUST be a dream! Haha and to think I actually did make a huge discovery._ He laughed to himself, thinking it was all a joke and kneeled down to the tiny sized children. He noticed how beautiful they both looked.

“Nice to meet you, I'm Ryugazaki Rei.” They all shook hands. “Excuse me, I don't mean to be rude but what are you supposed to be?”

“Oh! I'm a clock!” She pulls out a round-shaped clock from behind her. “It’s like a backpack! I can wear it when I’m too tired to hold it.”

“I say she’s an anime figurine that came with such a weird accessory”, commented Ren.

“Am not!”

“Are too!”

As the two bickered, Rei noticed a signature on the back of Ran’s shirt. It read Tachibana. “Ehhh?! Now I certainly MUST be dreaming.”

“What's wrong Rei-chan?” The look of concern on the children’s faces resembled that of his own child back home.

“What is this ‘Tachibana’ nonsense on your shirt?!”

Ran inspected the back of her shirt. “Oh that! I don't know! It just appeared on my shirt! But I love how it sounds. Tachibana Ran~”

“Hey! I have one too!” pouted the other twin. “Tachibana Ren sounds much better!”

“Tachibana Ran!”

“Tachibana Ren!”

“Oiiiii!!!!” Another voice echoed through the castle. It didn't sound like it posed much of a threat. “Guys, Gou-chan said to stop making so much noise!” Out of nowhere, a tea cup came into sight. It had a print of the face of a penguin but it had no handle. It also appeared that something was pushing it.

“Nagi-chan!” cheered the children. “Look at our visitor!”

A miniature person popped out from behind the cup. “Wow, a guest! Did Haru-chan finally make a friend?!”

“Haru—?” began Rei before feeling a tug. The blonde boy was before him.

“Hello Mr. Glasses. I am Nagisa!”

“Ahem, my name is Ryugazaki Rei. Pleased to meet you.” He greeted the boy.

“Nagi-chan is the handle of that tea cup! But Kou-chan gets mad at him whenever he goes off”, explained Ran.

“Yeah, Gou-chan is a monster”, mentioned Nagisa.

“Who's a monster?!” echoed another voice. This time it sounded feminine. A cherry blossom printed tea pot came into light. It was one of the slender types and the handle resembled a red-haired girl wearing a kimono with cherry blossom petals.

 _They all look like anime figurines_ , thought Rei. “An otaku?” he wondered aloud about the owner of the castle.

“That's not an otaku. It's Gou-chan.”

“U-Urusai! I wasn't referring to her!” defended Rei.

“Fufufu, hey Gou-chan~ Rei-chan called you an otaku.”

“-chan?!?! We just met!!”

“Kou-chan, look! We have a guest”, said Ren.

Kou gasped as she looked at the visitor. Luckily she paid no mind to the conversation going on between him and Nagisa. “You're all wet! Come, let's go by the fire. Nagisa, let's serve some tea to our guest.”

Kou-chan poured some tea into Nagisa, who kept giggling throughout the event.

Rei thanked them and reached to hold the cup to which Nagisa bursts out into laughter. “You're tickling me”, he said between giggles.

“P-Pardon me”, blushed Rei as he sipped out of the strange cup. Definitely a dream.

_**BANG** _

Doors bursted open and steps were heard. Rei yelped and sank deeper into the chair he sat in. He looked both ways cautiously before spotting something in his face. “AHHH!!”

Two figures stood beside him with odd faces. “Haruka-sama!” scolded Kou. “Will you and Momo take off those ridiculous Iwatobi heads?! You're scaring our guest!”

“How many times do I have to say that I can't take it off?” cried Momo. “Why can't Gou-chan love me for who I am?!”

“Stop. He is not our guest if he came in uninvited. He is a thief who broke in to steal my water”, said a monotone voice coming from an Iwatobi head. “Momo, please take him down to the dungeon.” Without another word, the commanding Iwatobi head returned to his room.

“Yes Haruka-sama!” The remaining servant dragged the intruder down to the dungeon.

“NO PLEASE!! I HAVE SOMEONE AT HOME WAITING FOR ME!!”

“Dude, don't worry. The dungeon isn't as ugly as you think. Besides, I’m sure your wife will come looking for you.”

Unfortunately, the dungeon looked like the typical dungeon: a bleak, gray and cold setting filled with cells. “Please stay here. Well, it's not like you'd be able to escape anyway.” Momo shackled Rei by the ankle and slammed the door closed. “Whoops, sorry.”

“This dungeon is not beautiful at all! I must return to my path! Please, let me out!”

“I'm sorry, Sir. You did trespass private property and that is a crime.” The Iwatobi-headed being left without another word.

Back in the forest, the faithful nephew ventured through the forest on his trusty stead. He stopped when he came across the abandoned carriage of his uncle. Gasping, he hurried to inspect for any signs or messages left behind. His stuff was left untouched and there weren't any signs of attacks. Makoto sighed in relief at the thought that his uncle was safe.

The horse suddenly tugged in the direction towards a dark path. It was unusual for it to want to go down an unsafe route but Makoto was sure that his uncle went that way. “Let's go, boy!”

Hiro led the way as he seemed to know the way. He might have picked up a scent though that was a bit of a stretch.

The duo stopped in front of the ominous castle. The olive-haired one was not sure if Rei might have entered through there but this was all he could rely on. “You stay here, Hiro and be safe. I'm going inside.” Going through the gates, Makoto knocked on the door. On the ground, he spotted a glass vial that contained his uncle’s remedy for the citrus greening. Immediately he knew that he was in the right place. Without hesitation, the beauty pushed the doors open but timidly went inside.

“Hello? Is anyone… home?” The castle was beautiful but now was not that moment for Makoto to admire anything. He spotted a candle light in the distance and it seemed to be moving away. “Excuse me! I’m sorry to intrude but I’m looking for my uncle!”

From a hidden corner, Nagisa spotted the new visitor. He almost squealed but contained himself from scaring anyone. Kou came around to look for the little tea cup. “Gou-chan! I think there’s an angel in the castle!”

“Stupid Nagisa, I think you're already hallucinating from lack of sleep.”

“But I re—.”

“Please Nagisa. We've all had enough today—,” said Kou before hearing something.

“Hello? Where did you go?” It was a voice unfamiliar to her and she quickly whipped around to look. Nagisa was right; there was an angel in the castle and a beautiful one too. Kou let out a squeal as she caught a glimpse of his biceps.

Meanwhile, Ren was leading the stranger to the dungeon with his light. He let out a cough to let the visitor know that someone was indeed leading him somewhere. Makoto followed after and stopped before an entrance. The candlelight had stopped moving but Ryugazaki Rei was in plain sight.

“Makoto!” The young man rushed to his uncle’s door and tried to open it up.

“ Rei! Are you okay? Who put you in there?!”

Rei answered with a cough and sniffle. The rain had finally taken its effect on him. His glasses were cracked from trying to bust the door down. “I'm fine.”

“Oh no you're not! Don't worry, I'll get you out of he—“

“No one is leaving.” A new person now spoke and Makoto turned around to face the enemy. He had never felt so desperate before. It was too dark to see who was talking but the voice sounded so cold and monotone.

“Please let him go. He’s coming down with a fever and his glasses are broken!”

Momo, in his Iwatobi-chan form, gasped. “That's your wife, Ryugazaki-kun?!”

“NO! NOW IS NOT THE TIME FOR THIS”, exclaimed Rei.

The figure next to Momo continued to speak. “No. He broke into my territory and now he is my prisoner.”

“Please Sir!”

“No.” The figure turned to the Iwatobi-chan. “Momo, please take this young man away and make sure he d—

“Wait!” cried out Makoto. Everyone turned to look at him. Green eyes glowed in the dark with determination. “Take me instead.”

Silence filled the room as no one could believe the sacrifice being made.

“Take you?” echoed Momo. “But that's not—

“You’d… be willing to switch places?” asked the owner of the castle. He looked over to Momo. “It’s settled. We take the young man and toss out the butterfly.”

“Butterfly?!”

“But Master Haruka—.”

“No Makoto! You're still young and have something great ahead of you! You're too beautiful to rot away in this place!” pleaded Rei.

“Oi… no one has ever rotted in here”, sweat dropped Momo.

Rei glared at him before continuing. “Go far away! Live your dreams! Heck, go marry that Matsuoka Rin who is crazy for you.”

“Enough”, cut Haruka. “Do you even know who you're in the presence of?”

Tachibana and Ryugazaki both blinked and shook their heads. Rei hadn't had the chance to memorize the master’s face since he was too busy trying to break free.

“Step out into the light.”

Slowly, a figure stepped into the light and it was none other than another Iwatobi-headed being. Both uncle and nephew let out a gasp of terror.

“Momo, get out of the light”, scolded the master. It had been his servant who stepped out instead of him.

“Hehehe! Sorry!” Momo slipped out of the light causing for the other two to relax.

Footsteps were heard and slowly the stranger revealed himself.

Another Iwatobi-headed being.

“Ehhh?!?!”

This time, the person took off the head and revealed his face. Black, straight hair and ocean-blue eyes. If it hadn't been for the fact that he was locked up, Rei might have considered him to be beautiful. Makoto, on the other hand, stared straight into the eyes of the beast. The one who had thrown his helpless uncle into a room without consideration. They both stared at each other.

“Momo”, signaled Haruka, not breaking eye contact. The orange-haired freak nodded and opened the door to Rei’s cell. Without warning, he took him away without time for farewells.

“Wait!” Makoto reached it to the ones that left but they were gone. “… I wanted to say good-bye…” He looked down sadly as he realized that was probably the last time he ever saw his uncle. Haruka sweated a bit as he hadn't dealt with another human in a while. Just keep cool. Kinda irritating.

“I'll show you to your room.” He earned himself a confused look.

“My… room? But I thought…”

“What? You want to stay here?”

“Well… no.” The blue-eyed master nodded and motioned for the other to follow. They walked around the castle in silence and Haruka could’ve sworn he saw Makoto shed a tear. He noticed how much taller the other was and certainly did not expect such a difference in height. It made it seem like Haru himself was the prisoner.

The master wanted to say something but all he managed to do was open and close his mouth. He didn't know how to quite say it but he didn't want to seem emotional.

“Are you trying to say something?” asked the green-eyed beauty.

Haruka was shocked. It was as if he had read his mind and never before had someone done that. Not with him. Clearing his throat, Haruka ignored the question.

“Since the castle is your new place, you can go anywhere. Ah, except the west wing.”

“West wing? What's in there?” Makoto received no reply to his question.

They finally arrived to the room where Ren and Ran had been waiting. Of course they stayed hidden until the visitor was out of sight. “Hey Haru-chan!” whispered Ran.

“Nani? (What?)” asked Haruka.

“Invite him to dinner!” She whispered. Haruka nodded and turned to the ‘guest’.

“Dinner is served at 8:00pm. If you don't come, there won't be any food. That is all.” He left without another comment.

“Hmph! That was all wrong Haru-chan! You didn't sound nice!”

“Nice?” Haruka sighed and made his way to his room.

Makoto only blinked at how curt the master had been. He sighed and sat on his new bed. It was ten times more comfy than his older one but it didn't matter to him. “I'll never get my chance now.”

“Haruka-sama!” All the previous servants that had been mentioned were now gathered with their master. They were in the sitting room. “What if this angel is the one to break the spell!”

“Did you see how gorgeous he looked?!” added Kou.

“My love only belongs to the water.” Despite his statement, it did not stop Haruka to think about the possibility of the new guest being the one to break the spell placed upon his castle. The blue eyed master sighed.

“But Haru-chan, you haven't been able to swim in water. It freezes!” reminded Nagisa.

Haruka rolled up his sleeve to reveal a tattoo that had been placed on him from the spell. It was an anchor that represented the weight of his curse that held him back from doing what he enjoyed most.

“It freezes up?!” squeaked the twins.

“No, Nagisa is wrong. When I go near it, this symbol glows up and suddenly I am unable to move toward it.” The blue eyes master huffed at his unfortunate life. All because he refused to let a pink-haired guy into his house. Who knew he was some kind of enchanter.

“How do you shower?!” shrieked Ran.

“I have only limited time to do that a day and I am forced to use my time wisely.”

“This is why you can't blow your chance now! I’ll try my best to make the dinner romantic to get things started”, said Kou.

“Romantic….” Haruka thought about the foreign word. He had never thought about it nor did he feel the need to back then.

_Bing bong bing_

The grandfather clock struck 8 o’clock, signaling the time for dinner.

“Thanks grandpa!” spoke Ran to the clock as she hold on to her own.

“That's not your grandpa!” argued Ren.

“Guys don't fight~! It's almost time to see our new resident!” beamed Nagisa.

“Yay!” cheered the twins.

“I wonder what his name is!” questioned Ren.

“We didn't get to see him very well either!” noted Ran.

Everyone moved to the dining room and waited by the table as their master followed them into the room. Nodding ever so slightly, the black-haired young man stood by the table and glanced at the seat that was across from his.

Empty.

“It’s already 8:05 pm and I said that if he didn't come down by 8, he won’t have anything to eat.” Haruka sat down and signaled for Kou to bring in his meal. Not caring if the other showed up, he ate his beloved mackerel in peace.

Little did the master know that the new resident had fallen asleep and no one had dared to wake him up. The poor fella had a rough day and he needed to rest up in order to face his new life.

“Hm?” The olive-haired teen’s eyes fluttered open and the first thing he thought about was the strange room he was in. “Huh? Where am I?” He looked around, trying to figure out where he was.

“Sleeping Beauty is finally awake. Wait, wrong story.” The voice seemed to be coming from a wardrobe that was set beside the bed.

Makoto stared with eyes wide open and could t believe what he had witnessed. Was this castle filled with strange things? He suddenly remembered the Iwatobi-chan heads and shuddered.,“E-Excuse me for dozing off! May I ask who you are?”

“Me? You can call me Sasabe! I've been around this place for a while but man, this wardrobe business isn't for me. Although I must say that I do pick out a mean outfit.” The wardrobe opened up its doors.

“Wow…” admired Makoto. He didn't know why but something about the wardrobe seemed familiar and he no longer felt so scared. The clothes inside it were of high quality and looked elegant.

“Don't worry, I’ll get some clothing that suits your size. You look to be quite strong.”

“Ahehe actually I haven't really used my strength in the way you're thinking. Simply to get chores done when necessary.”

Sasabe seemed to nod. “So you are the gentle type. Perfect!” His comment left the Tachibana gentleman confused. “Oh whoa, look at the time! You missed dinner.”

Scrambling to his feet, Makoto looked at the clock.

10:45 pm

“Oh no! I wonder what trouble I must’ve caused! I should go apologize, especially to that guy!”

“Guy? What guy?” The wardrobe hadn't the slightest clue as to who Makoto was referring to. There were no other “guys” except the new resident.

“The black-haired one with blue eyes. Is he the owner of this place?”

“OH! You're talking about Nanase Haruka. Did he not introduce himself to you?” The young gentleman shook his head in response. “Typical. Don't worry, he's been like that for as long as I’ve known him but I guess I don't blame him. He’s been isolated most of his time.”

“Well, he has a castle full of wonderful workers.” This caused for the wardrobe to let out a hearty laugh.

“Why thank you. We were mostly busy back when there was more to this place.”

_Growl~_

The sound came from Makoto’s stomach and he blushed. “Please excuse me.”

“Wow, you should head out to eat. I know Nanase said you wouldn't have dinner but that isn't proper hospitality. He should know better.”

_Knock knock_

The door opened and in sight were the teapot and teacup riding on a rolling table.. “Sorry to intrude. I just wanted to check on our new resident”, said the teapot. The green-eyed guest smiled warmly. It sure was a strange sight to see talking objects but he tried his best to subdue fear.

“Don't worry. I'm thankful for your concern. Oh, I haven't introduced myself. My name is Tachibana Makoto. Pleased to meet you.” The beauty bowed to the three servants.

“It's a pleasure to meet you. I'm sure you've met Sasabe-san by now. I’m Kou and this troublemaker is Nagisa.”

“Hi Mako-chan!” greeted Nagisa. “It's nice to have you in the castle! I'll make sure your stay is as fun as possible!”

“Nagisa! Don't be so direct with him!”

Makoto chuckled nervously but offered a smile. “It’s fine. I'm looking forward to it, Nagisa.”

The blonde’s eyes sparkled at how friendly the new person was. “Hey! How about we head down to eat! You must be starving!”

“That's what I said”, muttered Sasabe.

“Yes, let's go!” agreed Kou and pushed Makoto with the table. “See you later Sasabe-san!”

“Are you sure? I don't to upset anyone!” worried Makoto.

“You? Make someone upset? Impossible!”

_I wonder where life is leading me with this turn of events but I sure am glad to have met some new friends. I hope Uncle Rei isn't worried about me. I'm sure Sousuke and his family will take care of him. Sorry I won't return for the apple pie._

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for surviving through the chapter! What are your thoughts on how Haruka turned out to be? I admit I struggled between choosing which form to keep him in and I thought this best suited MakoHaru. Also, is Makoto not sad enough about leaving his life behind? Let's just say he is optimistic! THANK YOU AND UNTIL NEXT TIME!


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Tachibana beauty tries to adjust to his new home but just how well will things go?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey ho let's go! I have posted three chapters at once because I've been working on this for quite some time. I hope I haven't sped things up too much or if they are out of character. Please enjoy!

“This way Mako-chan!” The enchanted tea set led the young man through the castle.

Ren and Ran were on hallway patrol and turned their attention towards the trio that was barely in sight.

“Halt! Who goes there”, demanded Ren. Both twins held their hands out in a “stop” gesture. The trio did not seem to stop at their orders so Ran moved closer.

“Haru-chan doesn't want anyone wandering in the castle toda—.” She trailed off when her eyes landed on the beautiful stranger. “But we can make an exception today”, she added quickly.

“Ran”, whined Ren. “You're messing up the pla—.” He, too, stopped when he saw the olive-haired guest. Both their eyes twinkled at their new guest.

“Hey guys! You haven't met Mako-chan yet!” Nagisa waved over to them. He looked up at Makoto from the rolling table. “Mako-chan, meet the twins!”

Makoto turned to face the twins and smiled warmly at them. “Hello there. My name is Tachibana Makoto. It's a pleasure to meet you.” He bent down to their level.

They stared in awe until Ran made a connection. “Tachibana?” Her face lit up and face her twin brother. “Just like us Ren!”

“Huh?” Makoto was confused.

“Hi! My name is Ran and this is my brother Ren.”

“Hey! I wanted to introduce myself”, whined Ren. “My name is Ren.”

“We both have Tachibana before our names on our shirts!” shouted Ran excitedly as she showed their new friend.

“That makes you our oniichan!” joined Ren. They both tackled Makoto.

“I'll be happy to be your oniichan”, chuckled the beauty as he held the children. “We're heading off to eat and it would be nice if you joined us.”

“Sure!” agreed the twins simultaneously.

‘ _That’s weird. Is it just a pure coincidence that their last name also seems to be Tachibana? Is my fate behind this?’_ thought Makoto as the twins were clinging onto him.

When they arrived to the dining room, Makoto let out a gasp. It was bigger than his own house! “It's beautiful”, he managed to say as he stared in awe. He hadn't had a chance to admire the beauty of the castle.

“Sure but it's not as beautiful as you”, exclaimed Ran as she smiled at the tall guest. Her eyes sparkled when she saw him blush.

“Th-Thank you”, he said as he sheepishly rubbed the back of his head. Ren pouted at the sight of his sister getting all the attention. He immediately intervened.

“If someone told me that Oniichan was the prince of this castle then I’d believe it”, he said and smiled triumphantly when Makoto turned a darker shade of red.

“Y-You're too kind”, replied the bashful guy. Ran secretly made a face at her brother who only stuck his tongue out back at her.

They both lead him to sit at the table. A magical chair ran up behind Makoto, offering him a seat. Timidly, the guest accepted and stared at the huge table. Ran climbed up to the table and stood in front of him.

“Hm should I sing something? Something about… being our guest?” she asked out loud but the others shrugged.

“This place is huge. I feel so small just sitting at this long table”, chuckled Makoto nervously.

“It used to be full but it was only occasionally. The master wasn't really the polite type to invite people”, huffed Kou. “I always did want to see more people here.”

“Me too”, agreed Nagisa. “We tried our best to make things lively here for Haru-chan although back before the curse, we didn't really know him.”

Kou gave the blonde a hard nudge at the mention of the “curse”. It was a known fact among the servants that there was a curse placed upon them however they were forbidden to speak about it as it only irritated their master. The red-headed one cleared her throat to change the subject before their guest became curious.

“Sasabe-san was the only one who had known Haruka-sama since his childhood. He said that he tried his best to lift up the master’s attitude but it was no use.”

“We don't remember stuff previous to turning into these objects”, said Ren.

“Ah, you don't?” asked Kou, quite surprised. There was no escaping talking about the forbidden subject so Nagisa decided to reveal more of it.

“You guys were lost and wound up coming to this castle and surprisingly Haru-chan took you in. I always knew he was nice deep down! That was the only thing that did seem to change. He was smiling more often when you played but you always felt like something was missing.”

The magical servants were now talking amongst themselves, leaving a confused Makoto feeling out of place. A food cart came around to drop off his meal and he ate silently as to not disturb the conversation. He tried his best not to tune in since it was disrespectful to eavesdrop. Besides, he had no idea what they were talking about.

‘ _A curse? What could that be about?’_ he thought as he ate. When finished, he thanked everyone for the meal. Going unnoticed, Makoto decided to explore the castle. Although he felt timid about it, he had to do it at some point since it was going to be a long stay.

“That's when I said ‘Haru-chan! Try this sweet bread!’” echoed Nagisa’s voice. The servants had gone through the conversation and had managed to switch up the subject. “I thought the sweetness would rub off on him.”

“That's absurd”, said Kou as she rolled her eyes.

“Maybe Oniichan can teach him!” announced Ran.

“But where is Oniichan?” Everyone looked around and only saw an empty plate.

“Oh no! We were so lost in the conversation that Makoto-kun ate by himself”, gasped the red-haired girl.

The four of them ran to search for the escapee. When they reached the hallway, they found him going up the stairs leading to the west wing.

“Not the West Wing!” cried Kou as she hurriedly made her way to the stairs. Being little had its disadvantage at this point, making her cover more ground than the one she chased. “I won't make it in time!”

“Oniichan!!” called out the twins but unfortunately, Makoto was already out of sight.

The beauty was unaware of the fact that he had headed in the western direction of the castle. “Where am I?” he wondered out loud. He gasped. “I haven't traveled to the wrong place, have I?”

The place was so dark and gloomy looking. He found shredded swimming trunks littering the floor. The green eyed teen spotted what appeared to be broken trophies. What was this place? Why were these treated so poorly? The wind had been blowing and made howling noise through the room. The windows had been left open. Makoto jumped and looked around nervously.

“M-Maybe I shouldn't be here.” There were many portraits of water scenery but some of them had been ripped. “Who could have done th—.” The beauty stopped when he set his eyes on a blue, glowing light. He couldn't believe his eyes when he saw a rose made out of water, floating slightly above a table. It had been covered with a glass top.

Unable to stop himself, Makoto stepped closer and closer until he was right in front of the rose. “It's so beautiful”, he said softly. He reached out to touch the glass when suddenly, a shadow appeared before him.

Terrified, the olive haired guest jumped backwards, letting out a scream. It was an Iwatobi-chan head looking dead into his eyes. “What are you doing here?” Next to the creature stood the master, his blue eyes almost piercing through Makoto. His voice sounded more aggressive than before and that's when Makoto knew he had gone to the wrong place.

“I-I’m sorry. I d-didn’t mean to c—.”

“Get. Out.” At the sound of the raven-haired’s cold words, the beauty had never felt so unwanted before in his life. It was the first time he found himself feeling quite lost.

“GET OOUUUT!” screeched Momo, while flapping his wings around. Lightening struck at the exact moment, and the bird creature moved in a manner that looked like it was possessed. A red stained, porcelain doll suddenly dropped from the ceiling right in front of Makoto’s face.

“WAAAHH!!” Poor Tachibana-kun ran for his life; he did not take scary things too well.

Even Momo ran out in fear. “AHHH!! WH-WHAT IN THE WORLD IS THAT?!?!”

Haruka cautiously went over to pick up the doll ; scary things did not affect him as severely as it did to others. He remembered having put it in his room long ago before the curse, to scare off his servants that would nag him about his duties. This was unplanned for and the master felt that his chances of becoming normal flew out the window. He didn't mean to scare off the beauty.

“Wai—“ he tried to call after Makoto but he had already bolted out of the room. The terrified adolescent grabbed his cape that had been left hanging in the sitting room. Without excusing himself, he ran for his life.

“Mako-chan!” cried Nagisa after him and the others only watched in sadness as their only hope left. “What did Haru-chan do?”

Makoto ran and ran, until he caught a glimpse of Hiro the horse who had been so diligently waiting for his return. Mounting the horse, the beauty ordered for them to escape. It was as if luck was against him; a blizzard had been falling out. “What?! How can it be snowing?! Why out of all days?!” Suddenly, he heard the howl of wolves. “Please tell me this is a nightmare.”

They galloped through the snow until met up with a pack of hungry wolves. Hiro was frightened by their vicious looking teeth and accidentally dropped his rider to the ground. Makoto looked around with a frightened look and grabbed a nearby tree branch to defend himself. The wolves then lunged towards the helpless young man who desperately tried to fend them off. Despite his appearance, Makoto was unable to keep the animals off in such a desperate situation and much too scared to even put up a proper fight.

Falling backwards, his eyes widened at the sight of the charging wolves. ‘ _This is the end for me’_ , he thought as he threw his weapon towards the pack. Closing his eyes, he waited for the pain. But it never came.

Galloping on his own horse, a familiar image stood between the fighting parties. The wolves stopped only to stare at the being. It was quite an usual sight since the being had the head which resembled that of a bird’s. The Iwatobi head. It always confused anyone no matter what, which served as an advantage to distract an enemy. Drawing his sword, the Iwatobi-headed one kept the pack from approaching Makoto. The vicious animals savagely threw themselves onto the strange being, leaving scratches and bites on his body. Nonetheless, the being continued to fight without missing a beat. He successfully warded off the attackers and turned to look at the victim. Staggering forward, the Iwatobi-headed one fell to the ground.

Makoto rushed to his side to aid him. “Oh no, I need to take you back to the castle. Momo please hang in there! Hiro. let's go!” Both horses followed the pair back to the castle. ‘ _I_ _remember hearing him being called_ _Momo but he is very injured and it’s all my fault’_ , thought the olive-haired adolescent as they walked into the castle. When they entered, the servants rushed to them. “Please get me some water and a towel”, begged Makoto as he settled down in front of the fireplace.

Someone returned with the supplies and when Makoto looked to see who it was, it was another Iwatobi-headed creature. This one had the wings and features of a bird; this one was the true Momo who had been safe in the castle all along. Not that Momo meant less, Makoto was horrified when he realized that the one who had saved him was none other than the black-haired master.

He carefully took off the mask and sure enough, there was Haruka. After all, the rest of his body was human looking. How did he not notice it before?

“That Nanase Haruka is wreckless”, said Momo before leaving to retrieve some bandages.

“Nanase Haruka”, repeated Makoto in an attempt to memorize the name. Sasabe had mentioned his earlier as well.  
  
At the mention of his name, the master opened up his eyes and looked around. He looked at his torn clothing and realized that Makoto had saved him. He tried to get up as quickly as possible but winced in pain.

“What are you doing?! Sit down!” worried Makoto. He sat Haru in an armchair while he kneeled next to him.

“I'm fine”, protested Haruka. However it didn't stop the green-eyed adolescent from nursing his wounds. Luckily, he had read plenty of medical books and knew how to tend the injuries.

“I'm going to clean them up so that there are no further infections”, explained Makoto as he took the damp towel to place them in the wounds.

“I said I was fine”, argued Haruka as he tried to move away. It was like a game of catch. Makoto successfully placed the towel on the wounds but he earned himself a hiss from the master. “It hurts”, he said in an annoyed tone, turning his head away.

“Now now, if you hadn't moved so much it wouldn't have hurt”, explained Makoto in a soothing voice.

“This is your fault”, spat Haru back. He peered over to look at his “nurse”. The olive-haired adolescent had stopped trying to help him and only looked down at the towel in his hands in shame. Haruka felt uncomfortable with the sudden change in mood. A sweat drop formed at the side of his face and he tried to say something in apology but nothing would come out.

“No, you're right”, said Makoto. Haruka stared at him in shock, unable to understand how on earth he managed to figure out his attempt to apologize.

“No, he's not”, intervened Momo. “Haruka-sama was the one who scared our guest off in the first place. This castle is huge and he was only lost.”

“A-Ah, I’m sorry about traveling into the forbidden place”, apologized the new resident. “I shouldn't have wandered so freely.”

Everyone was silent for a moment, waiting for someone to speak up.

“I guess maybe I don't deserve to live here”, said Makoto with a laugh that didn't give off happy vibes. “I should probably leave.” It was pretty ironic for him to say that since he was forcefully living there in the first place.

“No”, said Haruka, a bit too quickly. It was probably going to be his last chance at making a new friend. It almost sounded like he was trying to lift the other one’s spirits. Realizing his emotions, he immediately turned to look away. Everyone was stunned for a moment, but Makoto let out a small smile.

“By the way, thank you… for saving my life, Haru.” His green eyes glowed as he gave his famous smile to his rescuer, not noticing his slip up.

“….Haru?” echoed Haruka quietly. His eyes widened a bit, not expecting gratitude after having treated the other so poorly. Moving his injured arm closer to the “nurse”, the master expected for the sign to be read that he was giving permission to be treated.

Makoto, being Makoto, immediately took notice and looked surprised. He reached out to nurse the injury and his face rested into his usual gleeful expression when he heard the other mutter in response.

“It was nothing.”

Besides the twins, who were whispering excitedly to each other, the other servants stood in shock as they watched the scene unfold before them. Never had they seen Haruka cooperate so easily with someone else (the twins being an exception), much less a stranger. They looked at each other with hopeful eyes, all agreeing that they found the one.

After the treatment, Makoto stood up and excused himself. “I’m very sorry for causing so much trouble. I'll head on back to my room and leave you in peace.” Bowing, he left to go to his room.

“Baka”, said Haru as he stood up to go after him. “You don't even know the way.”

The olive-haired adolescent stopped in his tracks and laughed sheepishly. “A-Aha, oh yeah.” He looked to the master. “Do you mind showing me the way, please?”

Haruka sighed. “I'm feeling pretty ti—.” He was about to say tired but felt a small flick on the back of his head. He immediately turned around to catch the culprit but the servants had scrambled away.

“N-Never mind! I'll find my way. I promise not to go to… that other place”, said Makoto. He excused himself and tried to walk away as quickly as possible. Suddenly, he felt someone hold him back.

“No, I’ll show you.” Haru let go, still wearing his usual serious face. “I don't want you to cause unnecessary trouble again.”

The servants, who had been watching from their hiding spot, sighed in disappointment.

“And here I thought he was finally going to act like a gentleman for once”, complained Kou.

“I want to show Oniichan to his room”, complained Ren.

“Me too!” agreed Ran. Without warning, the two ran towards their new beloved.

“Wait!” cried Kou but the twins were already out of hearing range. “Mou, those two are quite a handful.”

“But Mako-chan is perfect for them”, laughed Nagisa.

“Oniichan! Oniichan!” The twins ran up to the duo they had been spying on before.

“Oniichan?” asked Haru, surprised by the new term. He assumed the twins were talking about him since they had known each other for a while.

“Haru-chan, we haven't introduced you to our Oniichan! He is so wonderful”, gushed Ran.

“And handsome too!” added Ren, not wanting to be left behind in the compliment competition. “Sooo….”, he cleared his throat to sound more like a gentleman. “Nanase Haruka”, he said. Haruka was caught off guard with his full name coming from the small child. They've never called him like that.

“Please meet the wonderful Tachibana Makoto!” finished Ran.

“We haven't been properly introduced! Pleased to meet you”, bowed Makoto.

“Wow, like a prince!” chirped the twins.

“He is your Oniichan?” asked the confused master. He was not quite grasping the situation.

“Yes! Me and Ren have our names with Tachibana too right behind our shirts.”

The blue-eyed adolescent curiously read the names of the twins. _Tachibana Ren. Tachibana Ran_. It was the biggest coincidence ever, he assumed. It was surprising that a stranger with the same last name were to appear right at their door step. Yet he couldn't shake off the feeling that it might be something more than a coincidence.

“I didn't know that was your last name.”

“We didn't either until Ren started whining about the weird name on his shirt”, stated Ran.

“No! I was whining because you were yanking on my shirt”, defended her twin brother. They both frowned at each other.

“Was not!”

“Were too!”

“Now, now guys. You don't need to fight. You'll make your real Oniichan sad”, said Makoto as he signaled over to Haru, trying to calm down the twins.

“Eh? He's not our Oniichan!” defended Ren.

“You're the only Oniichan for me”, sang Ran.

“Guys, you'll hurt Haru-chan’s feelings”, whispered Makoto in a kind tone.

“Drop the –chan”, came the automated response. Haruka suddenly realized who it came from and was caught by surprise at how it sounded coming from the beauty. He hated it whenever Nagisa called him that but his annoying habit to do so never died down.

“Sorry”, sheepishly responded the olive-haired one.

“But we’ll hurt you're feelings if we go to Haru-chan”, continued the twin brother with his argument.

“Don't worry about me”, smiled the eldest Tachibana and then he gave Ren a tickle.

“Eh?! I want a tickle too!” whined Ran.

The blue eyed master stared at his “prisoner”. This olive-haired one was truly a wonder to him. He switched places to save his uncle despite the circumstances and he did not mind giving away affection to someone else. Not wanting to seem like he was in need of love, the master cleared his throat to speak.

“I’m fine. I might be busy the next few days. They must be bored playing with me anyway.”

“That's because you don't put enough effort, Haru-chan!” complained Ran. “Especially when we play house!”

“But you always want to play house!” complained her twin. House was the game where everyone pretended to be part of a family and took the roles of either mom, dad, children etc.

“I bet Oniichan can teach you both a thing or two. I bet Oniichan is great at playing house!” declared the Tachibana sister.

“House? Like pretending to be a family?” asked Makoto.

“Wow, you already know?!” exclaimed Ren.

“I have a very faint memory of playing it before but I can't remember with who. Maybe Uncle Rei?”

“Let's play right now!” chanted the twins.

“No. He needs to rest”, ordered Haru, almost sounding like a father.

“Awwww”, whined the twins.

“We can play tomorrow”, suggested Makoto, to keep their spirits high.

“YAAY! Have a good rest, Oniichan!”

The two adolescents walked back in direction of Makoto’s new room. It was a silent trip and the olive-haired one felt the need to say something.

“This is a very beautiful home you have.” He looked around in awe. Without paying attention to him, the host just continued to stare straight ahead.

“Yeah.”

“It'd probably take me a year to find my way through this castle”, said Makoto with a sigh.

“Yeah.”

The olive-haired teen tried his best to keep the conversation going. “Ah! You're lucky to have helpers that are very nice.”

“Yeah.”

 _Am I talking too much? I bet he's not even listening to me_ , sighed Makoto mentally. An idea for a test suddenly popped into his head and he peered over to the master. The blue eyed master was not even paying attention to him.

“What's your favorite part of the castle?” he asked curiously waiting for a response.

“Yeah.”

 _I knew it_ , thought the olive-haired teen with a sweat drop. He sulked at how terribly the conversation went. Feeling discouraged, the only option available was to just keep quiet and maintain a peaceful walk. Perhaps this was in Haru’s nature. _It’d be rude of me to ask too much from him then_ , thought Makoto.

Haruka noticed the sudden shut down of questions and glanced over to the taller one, who seemed to mind his own business. Part of the reason of the the former’s lack of elaborate answers was that he was not quite used to talking much. Sure, there were the servants to interact with but it wasn't the same; they worked for him and had to make the least bit of efforts to engage in conversation. Perhaps he should make an effort as well.

“Pool.”

Makoto blinked upon hearing the answer. _Pool? Oh! Is he answering my question?_ he thought to himself.

“You like the pool?”

“Yes. I only swim free.”

“Wow, I used to swim often when I was younger. Ah, it brings back so many memories…”

“What style?”

“Eh? Oh, well I guess it was backstroke when I swam in the relays. I did swim breaststroke too”, said Makoto. He looked off to a distance and thought back to his younger days. His relay consisted of the following members: Matsuoka Rin, Nitori Aiichiro, and Yamazaki Sousuke.

It was odd that Rin and Aiichiro didn't interact with Sousuke, almost seeming like they had forgotten about each other. Well they hadn't really interacted since their younger days so perhaps they did forget.

“With who?” spoke Haru, startling Makoto from his reminiscing.

“Eh? Oh, some friends from the past. I only remained close to one of them though.”

“Who are they?”

“Oh! You want to know their names and strokes, right? Let's see… There is Sousuke who decided to take the butterfly stroke. I loved to see him swim. He was always determined to swim with us.”

Makoto smiled at the memories of his close friend. “I’d like to see him swim again. I really do miss him.”

Haru raised an eyebrow, sensing a potential rival in his plan of breaking the curse. “Who else?”

“O-Oh! Sorry about that! Then Aiichiro-kun who chose breaststroke. He always wanted to improve himself and worked so hard.” Makoto let out a laugh at his memories.

“…Who swam free?”

This time Makoto let out a sweat drop and a bit of a displeased look. Haruka became curious. It seemed like he either didn't seem to get along with this person or he disapproved of him.

“…That's Matsuoka-ku— I mean, Rin. Ahh! Why did I mess that up?” The backstroke swimmer sighed.

“You don't like him?” asked Haruka, sounding curious.

“Well it's not that I don’t like him. It's just…”

“You love him”, stated Haruka so bluntly, with an expressionless face. What a ruin of plans but on the bright side, this Rin guy won't see the beauty again since he was held as prisoner.

“W-What?! N-No!!” defended a red Makoto, always blushing at such remarks. “I-It’s nothing like that and I think he is just being… nice.”

“How is his swimming?” Haruka soon lost interest in the love topic and wanted to talk about his beloved swimming.

“His swimming? Ah! Rin is a really great swimmer! His speed always improved each day and I say he also worked very hard. Maybe even more than Aiichiro-kun…” The olive-haired adolescent laughed. “He was also very competitive. ‘Sousuke, let's have a race!’ and Sousuke would even agree! I have to say that Rin’s swimming was amazing. A-Ah! I mean Matsuoka-kun! I-It’s nothing like that!” Makoto shouted nervously.

Why is this guy so set on making a point _that he doesn't like this Rin guy? I bet he does have a crush. Oh well, his crush will just have to be... crushed_ , thought Haruka to himself. If only he knew of Matsuoka Rin’s attempts at trying to woo the beauty. The black haired adolescent turned to look at the beauty.

Makoto had suddenly furrowed his eyebrows. “I wonder why we aren't all so close together anymore.”

“He sounds like a worthy opponent but it also sounds like you don’t swim anymore.”

“Sadly, no. Rei told me to stop because of that…” Makoto’s trailed off towards the end, looking a bit sad.

Haruka luckily took notice of the other’s sudden change in expression and decided to refrain from asking further questions. It looked like a sensitive topic that perhaps will be revealed later. Besides, they had already reached their destination.

“Here we are.”

“Thank you for everything. I'm really sorry we caused you so much trouble, especially me.”

“We?” The master suddenly remembered the incident with Rei and quickly spoke before he was reminded of it out loud. “It was nothing. It’s getting late so get some rest and I’ll send someone to get you for breakfast in the morning.”

“Thank you, Nanase-kun”, said Makoto with a bow. There was silence between the two, and Makoto offered a smile, surprising Haruka.

“…Haru”, he mumbled.

“Eh?” The Tachibana beauty was confused for a moment.

This certainly put the master in a difficult situation. He wasn't the type to vocalize his feelings too often and he was hoping there might've been a special connection between him and Makoto. _That’s too much to ask from a stranger,_ he thought. It'd be absurd to think there was a red string of fate present. Suddenly, his thoughts were interrupted.

“Of course, Haru”, came a reply. The world suddenly seemed a bit brighter, despite it being dark outside. Perhaps it was the radiant smile that illuminated the place.

“Good night… And offer my greetings to Sasabe.” Not waiting for a response, Haruka gave a nod and left before things became too emotional.

“Good night”, called Makoto out before returning to his room. He was immediately greeted upon entering.

“Welcome back Makoto-kun. I see you have already made a friend. Was it Momo? He took on a bit of a strange form but I guess he can make a good friend. A bit too eager though like Nagisa”, spoke Sasabe the wardrobe.

“Thank you Sasabe-san although it wasn't Momo. It was Haru!”

Sasabe went into a coughing fit, going into surprise at finding out that the master had been the one engaging in friendly conversation. “Haruka?!”

Makoto smiled happily. “Yes and he told me to give you his greetings.”

The wardrobe could not believe his ears (not that it seemed like he physically had any at the moment). He had described to Makoto who Haruka was so it was impossible for him to have confused people. Besides, Haruka was the only human being in the castle.

“Well thank you. Hmm, I don't think I've ever received such a message before. I am glad my years of teachings have finally composed him into a gentleman.”

“I am glad too. You are very considerate.”

Sasabe laughed. “And you are too kind. I can see why Haruka walked you to your room. It’s not everyday we meet a person, let alone a kind one!”

The olive-haired guy faintly blushed at the compliments. “He walked me because I had caused trouble earlier.”

“What, really?!”

“…. I accidentally walked into the west wing. My exploration took a wrong turn. He even warned me and I am such an idiot for not noticing where I was heading.”

“So that's the commotion I heard earlier. Somebody should've assisted you. I apologize for the lack of proper hospitality and service. Actually, I did hear from Nagisa that you had left with a terrified look on your face.”

“Ahehe…. I was caught by surprise with a few.. pranks.”

The wardrobe shook his “head”. “Looks like Haruka still has some work to be done. You must be tired from all that running around then. Here, take this.” He opened up to reveal a green pajama outfit. It was made of fine silk and seemed like a perfect fit for the beauty. “It’ll sure bring your eyes out but too bad that it’s only nightwear. I'll turn around for you to change.”

“Thank you so much Sasabe-san.” Makoto admired the outfit for a while before slipping it on. He had never felt anything so soft yet smooth before. It almost reminded him of his swim wear.

Suddenly, the door swung open. It was the master, holding what appeared to be a set of pajamas. Kou had sent him to deliver the clothes, scolding him for improper hospitality.

“Haru”, said Makoto in surprise.

“I was told to give you th—.” Haru blinked, wearing a poker face.

_~Wow~_

Makoto had already taken off his shirt, exposing his perfect figure.

Sasabe suddenly turned around to face the intruder, looking quite angry. “ What the hell are you doing barging in here? That is impolite, your house or not. I cannot even say ‘Hasn't anyone taught you to knock?’ because we did teach you! I apologize for his rude behavior, Tachibana-kun.”

Haru only blinked, wearing his expressionless face. He walked away without another word.

“HA?!! YOU’RE NOT EVEN GOING TO APOLOGIZE OR CLOSE THE DOOR?!”

“S-Sasabe-san, it's okay. I'm sure it was a mistake”, sweat dropped Makoto, making an attempt to calm Sasabe down.

“NO IT’S NOT. NANASE HARUKA, RETURN THIS INSTANT!!”

The blue eyed master could only hear faint yells from where he had travelled to. He stopped and looked at the pajamas in his hands, still wearing a poker face. Maybe, just maybe, he was able to understand Gou’s fascination with muscles. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading through! It'll be until probably next week until I update. I haven't started the next chapter yet but I have a rough idea so don't worry! I hope you all have a good weekend and until next time~!


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Matsuoka Rin was not pleased with the outcome of his plans and he has no thoughts on backing down. He will go through any trouble to make sure he gets his way, even if it means going after whom may be his future family member.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for taking long with the new chapters! I had to rewatch the movie because I forgot what came next, ahehe! I'm trying to follow most of the movie storyline so it makes sense. Thank you all for returning to read more! After this chapter and the next, I promise there will be more MakoHaru (sorry, I know it may be your only interest because sometimes I've felt the same)!! I hope you enjoy and don't hesitate to comment! Please excuse any mistakes that may have slipped past me, thank you!

Matsuoka Rin was sitting in his usual chair at the town’s bar. Staring at the blazing fireplace, he could only match it to his anger and disappointment to the day’s earlier failures. Everything seemed to have worked perfectly in his eyes. Perhaps an engagement ring would have increased the momentum and changed the outcome.

The red-haired young man threw his cup of beer he had been drinking into the fire with frustration.

Nitori couldn’t bare to see his senpai in such a state. It did seem a bit rash to try to propose before getting a chance to date and spend some quality time together. Sure they did meet Makoto when they were younger but somehow they became distant to each other and it wasn't the same. But what could he do? If it was what made Rin happy, Ai had to be there to make sure everything was executed perfectly. Although, it seemed as if he made things worse by trying to help.

The gray-haired boy served some tea for the young man seated by the fire, quite odd since they were at a bar after all. “This will help you relax better than that.”

Rin only glanced at the tea cup and scoffed. “Only some alcohol will help me now.”

“Senpai, what you did today was very bold! That Makoto-san isn’t as smart as we thought and doesn't know what he’s missing out on!” said Nitori in an attempt to cheer the other up.

Rin glared at him causing his kouhai to flinch. “Don't talk about him like that.”

Again, Nitori seemed to have rubbed some salt on the wound instead of curing it. “S-Sorry! I didn't mean it like that!” He sighed and put on a more serious tone. “Senpai, you need to look past that! Look around. Everyone else loves you! You’re the greatest swimmer this town has known!”

The other men at the bar raised their mugs full of beer to cheer on the red-head. They all chanted “Matsuoka” a couple of times before chugging down their drinks.

“What's the point if the one I want doesn't think the same?” Rin said before turning his attention back at the fire.

Nitori huffed and stood in the other’s view. “Stop beating yourself up! You can't give up after one slip up! The Rin-senpai I know tries hard to become better and I know you’re capable of it!”

Red eyes looked at the short figure for a moment, widening in realization. “Ai… if you stand too close to the fire like that, you'll get burned.”

“Ahhh!!” Nitori quickly swatted himself as he saw little sparks of fire bounce off on him. Suddenly, he heard soft laughter. The gray-haired boy smiled to himself upon seeing his friend finally lightening up.

“I'm glad to see you smile, senpai. You know, sometimes I wonder what would've become of me if I hadn't met you. I probably would've turned out to become so useless but with you, I feel like there's a chance for great things! When I see you swim, your passion rubs off on me and it makes me want to improve too. Although I can never match your greatness.”

Rin stopped and looked the boy in the eye, facial expressions turning serious. “Ai. Don’t ever say that to me again.”

Nitori flushed and became embarrassed. “Ah! I didn't notice what I was saying! It must've sounded weird to you—!”

Suddenly, the red head grabbed ahold of the smaller one’s shoulders and looked him straight in the eye. Nitori’s eyes grew wide in surprise as he stared at his senpai who began speaking. Their faces were close together, he held his breath and felt his heart race. He saw the fire that danced in those red eyes, and it wasn't just the reflection of the fire place. “Listen to me: You are not useless. You wouldn't have been and you never will be. Don't ever say that again.”

Rin was upset that his friend would even think about himself so lowly in such a manner. Perhaps he pushed the other around too much and possibly triggered negative thoughts.

“Rin-senpai…. You really are the greatest.” Nitori’s frost blue eyes shone with admiration and a grand smile spread across his face. For a moment, it seemed like they were the only people in the bar. That is, until Nitori broke away, leaving the other a bit dazed. The kouhai grabbed ahold of a mug and clunked it against another man’s. “To Rin-senpai! The greatest man and swimmer in the world!”

Everyone began cheering for their “town hero”, waking him from his trance. Rin cleared his throat and stood up to accept the praise given to him.

**SLAM**!

The doors of the bar slammed open, grabbing the attention of everyone.

“What the—..”

When they saw, in stumbled a bespectacled man of blue hair that was all ruffled up as if he had been in a fight.

“Ryugazaki-san?!” shouted a townsman.

Rin’s attention was certainly won upon hearing the guardian of his “fiancé”.

Ryugazaki-san’s suddenly burst out as he straightened his glasses. “Please!! He's been locked up! We need to save him!!”

“Who’s got who locked up?” asked Rin. Everyone listened attentively.

“My nephew, M-Makoto! A horrible monster locked him up!” Rei stumbled around the bar, trying to get to where Rin was. “Oh Rin-san, you'll help me right?”

“A-A monster?!” squeaked Ai. He hid behind his senpai but heard a roar of laughter coming from the bar customers.

“A monster?! PAH HA HA! What did it look like, huh?” said someone.

Rei had not noticed that the man was being sarcastic in his desperation to help his nephew. “Oh, he has the body of a human and a bird head!! Wait… that was a costume head. BUT there is another bird-like creature that is bigger than an average man!! He can talk!”

Nitori shivered with fear. “W-We have to help him!”

“But Ryugazaki-san! You're a scientist and don't you know that such thing won’t exist!” laughed another man. “The books finally got to his head and he's become crazy!”

The gray haired boy cleared his throat and forcefully laughed. “Ha… ha! Of course nothing like that exists! Right, Rin-senpai?” He became nervous when his senpai did not answer.

However, a million thoughts ran across Rin’s mind. Firstly, where was Makoto really? Perhaps this is a scheme to prevent his marrying to him! No, it couldn't be. It did seem like Rei was quite fond of him so why would he jeopardize their relationship?

Before he knew it, the men of the bar had dragged the poor scientist outside in the cold snow. They did not believe his little story much less help him.

“NO! PLEASE! RIN-SAN!” plead Rei. The mentioned adolescent tried to reach out but he had not a chance to speak. The scientist was already kicked out of the bar.

He landed face first into the snow, his glasses falling off. Rei did not move and began sobbing into the white blanket on the ground.

“Why won't anyone help me?!”

Back inside, the others scoffed and laughed at how crazy the bespectacled man had become. They titled him as a mad scientist, not in a good way either.

This gave Rin a cruel yet possibly successful idea. “Say, Nitori. You said you'd help me out with anything right?”

“Well in the past, yes! Is there something you need?” asked the loyal kouhai.

“It is a tough decision I've had to make but I can't let anything get in my way.” Rin leaned in closer to whisper into the other’s ear. “I will have to go after Rei.”

“S-Senpai! Do you have a crush on him?! How could you even call him by his first name so calmly like that?!” gasped Nitori as he covered his mouth in second hand embarrassment.

“D-Don't be such an idiot! He is going to be my future ‘uncle-in-law’! Of course I can call him by his name if my wife can.”

“Y-You're so bold to call Makoto-san as your wife!”

Everyone turned around to look at the duo as their conversation grew louder. The pair noticed and laughed awkwardly. Rin glared at his partner, who cowered a bit in fear. Everyone knew about Rin’s intention to marry the town’s beauty so they paid no attention to them any further.

“You're too loud”, gritted Rin under his teeth.

“S-Sorry! I'll be more quiet!” The duo scooted closer to the fireplace, to discuss plans.

“So, we all know Rei can get a little crazy, right? Well, I happen to know a certain someone who can help us get him into an asylum.”

“B-But isn't that taking things too far?! What will Rei think about you afterwards?! What about Makoto-san?!”

“I won't tell them. My connection will make sure of it. Are you in or not?”

Nitori looked at the other with surprise. Was he going to roll with the plan? It indeed was cruel to think of Ryugazaki in such an ill manner, especially since he approved so well of Rin.

“W-What if we ask Ryugazaki-san to convince or help with proposing to Mako—..”

“You don't think I've THOUGHT OF THAT?!?! It's clear you don't want to help me, then fine.” Rin grabbed his jacket from one of the coat hangers and excused himself from the bar.

“W-Wait!” Ai ran after him. Even if he didn't approve of the method, he couldn't understand why he still felt the desire to help. Was this what true loyalty felt like? “RIN-SENPAII!”

The feeling of having someone slip from his grasp was worse than agreeing to participate in an evil plot.

Wait, is this what he feels like when he thinks about Makoto-senpai? thought the gray-haired boy as he looked for his partner. Is this what they call….love?

“So you decided to follow me?” said the voice of the shark-like swimmer, who was leaning against the outside of the bar. Rin sighed. “I was expecting for you to come to your senses. Come on, it's this way.”

A warm feeling came over Nitori, despite the chilly weather. He felt tears of joy form in the corner of his eyes and a wave of relief wash over him. “Hai!”

Was it really okay to feel this way despite the plan they were about to execute? At the moment, Ai couldn’t find it in him to feel sorry anymore. Was his desire to be with Rin stronger than that of keeping Ryugazaki safe?

Deciding not to think profoundly of the subject, he shook his head and ran over to the side of his beloved senpai. “So, who is this person we’re going to see?”

The red-head smirked as he raised his head highly, portraying the Matsuoka Rin that everyone knew. “His name is… Shigino Kisumi." 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you didn't realize, Kisumi kinda has two roles. Sorry it it's confusing but I felt he fit best into his current role. His previous one was that he was the one who enchanted Haru but since the enchanter only appears once, I figured it was safe to place Kisumi as "Rin's connection". Have a nice day!

**Author's Note:**

> * — I just wanted to say that the "Good Ai" was supposed to be a pun since Ai and eye, ha ha... okay sorry. I hope you enjoyed and please let me know if the Japanese is too much. Tell me what you think! Until next time!


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